Putting video storytelling opportunities in the hands of our partners has been an increasing focus for Team Up, and the efforts of the some of the pioneers of this work have been rewarded at the inaugural Team Up Folktale Oscars.
In years past, sport for development programs without in-house video production capacity had to engage external companies to produce video content about their work and impact, at significant cost.
Thanks to advancements in the quality of mobile phone cameras and the rollout of an innovative, Australian-developed video storytelling app, Folktale, Team Up has been supporting partners to produce more video content themselves.
The creativity of Team Up partners in video production across the first year of Team Up’s use of Folktale was recognised at the inaugural Team Up Folktale Oscars, held virtually and in Pacific country hubs on 20 June, 2022, in conjunction with a Folktale skills workshop.
The ceremony celebrated winners and nominees in seven categories: most improved production; best presenter; best profile; best messaging; best impact story; best cinematography and best director.
Videos produced by Team Up partners in Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu from 2021-2022 were considered for the awards. Each winner won a Team Up prize pack for themselves, and a pack of video production-enhancing accessories for their organisation.
Best Director winner Sebastian Egen works for the PNG Rugby Union Inclusion Impact program, and is hard of hearing. He has used Folktale enthusiastically since attending a workshop in 2021 and delivered his Oscar acceptance speech in sign language, with the help of colleague Vaianna Gabba.
“Thank you to Team Up and the Australian Government,” he said. “I’m surprised and happy to have won this award. I tried Folktale and I won, so [this shows] we can all try Folktale and get a certificate. If we are strong in this and work together as a team, we can all win awards.”
Lavenia Yalovi from Fiji, who won the award for Best Messaging, said Folktale had helped her become more confident in speaking on camera about the impact of the program she works for, Get into Rugby PLUS. “I’m a shy person generally but, through this Folktale app, it brings out the beauty in me trying to deliver messages and also to relay human interest stories through the sport for development program,” she said.
Co-founder of Folktale Sarah Mak, who attended the event to present the award for Best Profile, explained that the inspiration for creating the tool came from her experience working in international development and appreciating first-hand the importance of storytelling. She said she was impressed by the quality of videos produced by Team Up partners in just their first year of using Folktale.
“It can be quite a daunting process to do this, particularly the first time. One of the things we like to say is ‘any individual can simply press that record button, but it takes commitment and empathy from a deeply connected community for well told stories to be created’. I feel like that’s what we’ve seen here, and it’s just the beginning. I’m quite excited and emotional seeing these fabulous stories coming through.”
The full list of Team Up Folktale Oscar winners (and nominees in brackets) is:
- Most Improved Production: Joyce Koiari, Inclusive GymBad PNG (nominees: Lola Ilumpui, Hook In4 Health PNG and Maybel Ravo, Volley4Change Vanuatu)
- Best Presenter: Tapai Talaifono, Healthy Nanas and Disability Cricket Samoa (nominees: Frances Salesa, League for Life Samoa and Joe Kafatolu, League for Life Tonga)
- Best Profile: Nasse Maltungtung, Hook In4 Health Vanuatu (nominees: Avii Fa’alupega, Get into Rugby PLUS Samoa and Oliver Nombri, NRL PNG)
- Best Messaging: Lavenia Yalovi, Get into Rugby PLUS Fiji (nominees: Amelia Lawac, Appeal Against Violence Vanuatu (highly commended) and Lana Job, League for Life Fiji)
- Best Impact Story: Glentonn Tari, Swim, Splash & Survive Vanuatu (nominees: Nasse Maltungtung, Hook In4 Health Vanuatu and Lavenia Yalovi, Get into Rugby PLUS Fiji)
- Best Cinematography: Netina Latu, Smash Down Barriers Tonga (nominees: Dhirish Kumar, Smash Down Barriers Fiji (highly commended) and William Peter, Basketball for Good Fiji)
- Best Director: Sebastian Egen, PNG Rugby Union Inclusion Impact Program (nominees: Lana Job, League for Life Fiji (highly commended) and Elizabeth Guka, Kicks 4 Kokoda PNG)
The Team Up Folktale Oscars will become an annual event, with more categories to be added to reflect partners’ increasing use of this innovative video storytelling tool.
Article adapted from the Team Up website.